Wash Away those years
by darkangel997
Summary: CSI:Miami Joan of Arcadia crossover. A victim of crime leaves her mark on Horatio, and Joan. HOC friendship


_WASH AWAY THOSE YEARS_

_**She came calling**_

_**One early morning**_

_**She showed her crown of thorns**_

There was a knock on the door. Angel's father ordered her to go to her room, and punctuated each statement with a punch to the stomach. As soon as Angel had gone to her room, Angel's father answered it. "Mr. Johns?" a male voice asked  
"Who's askin'?" Angel's father asked, grumpily

"I'm Lt. Caine from Miami P.D. and this is my partner Dt. Tripp. We need to ask you a few questions"

"Come in I guess… Hey Angel make yourself useful and make me a coffee…You fellas don't want one do you?"  
"No thank you" The voice asked. Angel looked at the two policemen as she walked past. She couldn't hear the conversation from the kitchen, but she sensed her father becoming frustrated. She crept into the lounge and handed her father the coffee to her father. He tasted it "Shit as usual. Can't you do nothing right?" He snapped  
Angel didn't answer; she just stepped away from her father. Sensing one of the cops, the red-headed one getting angry, she ran into her room. Through the walls, she heard yelling which scared her even more. There was a scuffle and Angel heard her father begin cursing at the policemen. Angel crept out and saw the bigger policeman pushing her father out of the door. The other policeman, the red-headed one watched, and then noticed her watching him. Angel whimpered and moved back into the darkness. "It's ok" The policeman said quietly leaning down to her eye level.

"My daddy said police are bad" She said quietly

The policeman nodded "what's your name?" he asked her

"Angel…What's yours"  
"Horatio" he said "Angel is a very pretty name. It suits you"  
"My mommy named me. She's an angel now"

The policeman, Horatio, nodded "Has your daddy hurt you Angel?"  
"No" Angel said, telling the answer she'd always given "my daddy don't hurt no one"

"That's not true, Angel, he has hurt someone, and that person is an angel now too"  
"Daddy doesn't hurt people" Angel said, tears coming to her eyes. She turned away from Horatio and it hurt her stomach. "Angel" Horatio said quietly "You can trust me ok"  
Angel looked at him "I want to" she whispered, "but he'll be mad"

"Your father is not going to hurt anyone ever again, and especially not you, because I won't let him"  
Angel looked at the man. He meant it. She could see that, but could she trust him? No, Angel decided. She turned away and ran.

_**She whispered softly**_

_**To tell a story**_

_**About how she had been wronged**_

Angel was watching her father get led away from a distance. "Daddy" she whispered. She saw the Horatio-person on top of some steps, and she knew he saw her. The instinct to run wasn't there, so she didn't, even as he walked up to her. "Hi Angel" he said quietly. Angel didn't answer him she just pulled her top up, and showed him the bruising on her stomach. "That must hurt" He said quietly touching it softly. Angel still didn't speak; she turned around and showed him the scars on her back. "Angel, what your Daddy did to you is wrong, it's against the law. You know what the law is?"

Angel nodded. "Well, there is a law that says that adults are not allowed to hurt kids or treat them badly."

Angel watched Horatio she could see he was angry, but not at her, so she wasn't scared. "Daddy made Mommy go to the angels, and he told me if I tried to run away, then he'd send me to her, cause that was bad"

"He made your mom go to the angels?" Horatio asked. Angel nodded. "He hit her then she hit her head, and bled lots. Daddy cleaned it up, and put Mommy in a hole in the backyard"

"When did your mommy go to the angels, Angel?"  
Angel shrugged

"Ok can you show me and some friends where the hole is?"

Angel nodded

_**As she lay lifeless**_

_**He stole her innocence**_

_**And this is how she carried on**_

_**This is how she carried on**_

Angel pointed to under a tree. "There"  
Horatio nodded "You did a good job, Angel" which made Angel smile. Two of Horatio's friends began digging where Angel pointed "Daddy didn't put much dirt on to fill the hole" Angel said. Horatio nodded at the digging friend who nodded back. Angel looked up at Horatio, who looked angry. Angel whimpered a little, which made Horatio look at her "What's wrong"  
"Your mad"

"Not at you Angel, ok, I am not mad at you, and I won't be" She heard him trying to control the emotions in his voice. She looked at two of the other friends, both ladies, one with long blonde hair, and the other dark, like one of the digging friend. The other digger had funny coloured eyes. The blonde lady noticed Angel watching her and smiled. Angel hid behind Horatio, who took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Got somthin'" one of the diggers called. The other went across to the first, and together they dug on their hands and knees. The dark lady went over to them. "Angel? Do you have a picture of your mother?" Horatio asked

Angel nodded and ran inside the house. She returned a moment later with a photo in her hand. She handed it to Horatio. In the picture Angel was sitting with a woman, both of them smiling, but only Angel meaning it. Angel's mother's eyes gave it away they were full of sadness, which you could see even in the picture. "I got mommy's diary too" Angel said, giving Horatio the book. He nodded "Smart girl" He murmured to her. Angel saw that the hole was now big. "I'm going to wait over there" She said pointing to the cars Horatio nodded. "You know what I might join you" The blonde lady said "If you don't mind"  
Angel shook her head, and she and the lady walked over to the cars. "I'm Calliegh by the way"

"You already know who I am" Angel said

"Yeah I do" Calliegh agreed.

"Miss Calliegh can I ask you somthin?" Angel asked

"Sure honey, what's bothering you?"  
"He said that police were bad, but you guys have been nice to me"  
"Some police are bad, Angel, but not all police" Calliegh told the little girl "Maybe the police that your daddy knew were bad" Calliegh was making excuses for Angel's father, Angel knew that, but she accepted it "Thank you for staying with me" Angel whispered quietly

"Your welcome" Calliegh replied

_**Well I guess she just closed her eyes**_

_**And just imagined everything's alright**_

"How you doin?" Horatio asked coming to sit next to Angel. She gave him a small smile, a tired smile. Angel had been taught she didn't have anything interesting to say so she didn't talk that much. "Ok, well Angel, I have talked to some people, and they have a new family for you to go stay with" Doubt clouded Angel's eyes. "Honey they are a nice family and they will teach you what you need to know"  
"Can't you?" Angel asked

"You can't stay with me Angel" Horatio told her quietly. Angel looked at her feet trying not to cry. She'd never wanted to cry about leaving someone before. "Angel" Horatio said touching her shoulder "Angel look at me ok"  
Angel looked up at him "I know I have to go" She whispered "Doesn't mean I have to like it"  
"No it doesn't" Horatio told her. "ButI will be checking up on you ok"  
Angel nodded and touched his hand. Horatio held Angel's and they walked towards the car.

_**But she could not hide her tears**_

'_**Cause they were sent to wash away those years**_

_**They were sent to wash away those years**_

Horatio walked Angel to the door. She was still sad "Hey" He said. Angel looked up at him "Where's your smile?" He asked her. Angel grinned a little "better" Angel smiled, and Horatio smiled back "That's my girl." He knocked on the door. A woman answered the door "I'm Lt. Caine, and this is Angel"

"We were expecting you. Why don't you both come in?" Angel felt the woman scan over her. She looked around. There was a wooden cross on the wall, with a man hanging on it. She decided that she'd ask the lady about it later. "I'm Helen" The woman said. Angel nodded taking Horatio's hand, scared. Horatio squeezed hers comfortingly "Angel would you like to see your room?" Helen asked.

Angel looked up at Horatio who nodded once. Angel nodded at Helen. "Ok, Joan?"  
Helen called "Yeah?" a voice from upstairs floated into the kitchen. "Joan come down here and meet your new foster sister"

"A foster kid?" Joan said appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "Why do we have a foster kid?"  
"Joan we'll discuss it later. Angel this is Joan"  
"Hi" Joan said giving the small girl a smile.

"Hi" Angel said quietly.

"Joan take Angel to the spare bedroom, it's were she'll be sleeping" Helen ordered. Horatio let Angel's hand go. "go on" he whispered. Angel looked at him, and he smiled reassuringly. Angel nodded and followed Joan. She heard Horatio say to Helen "Angel's grown up in a very abusive home, her mother was murdered in front of her, so don't worry if she doesn't talk much"  
"Angel?" Joan said, noticing the little girl listening to the adults. "Come on"

"Ok" Angel said quietly. She followed Joan up the stairs and into a bedroom twice the size of hers. Angel scanned it. The bed was near a wall that would have to move near the window. "So this ok?" Joan asked. Angel nodded and placed her bag on the bed. She then pulled the bed towards the window "What are you doing?"

"If I'm not allowed its ok"

"No it's not that, I just was wondering"

Angel looked away from her and pulled the bed again.

_**My anger's violent**_

_**But still I'm silent**_

_**When tragedy strikes at home**_

Horatio left a little while later, and Helen began cooking dinner. "What's your favourite food Angel?" Helen asked. Angel looked up and then looked over at Joan "She's talkin' to you"

Angel looked scared and wished Horatio was here. "Hello?" A mans voice called Angel's eyes sparked in fear and she scrambled underneath the table. "Hey sweetheart" Helen called. "So where's the foster kid?" He asked. After a moment he looked under the table. "Hi" He said quietly. Angel moved back away from him "Hey you don't need to be scared" he told her "I'm a policeman, well I used to be"  
"good or bad?" Angel asked

"good. Now will you come out?" he asked offering Angel his hand. Angel looked at it for a moment then took it. He helped her out from under the table. Joan gave her a curious look, as the phone rang. "It's Joan…oh hey…yeah? Hey Mom, Luke and Kevin are stuck at the bus station, with no money or gas"

"I'll come and get them" Helen said with a sigh, "I suppose we can have take away for tea"  
"I'll order a pizza…What do you like Angel"  
"What's a pizza?" Angel asked. Helen and her husband exchanged glances.

"You don't know?" Helen asked

Angel shook her head "Is that bad?" She asked backing up.

"Oh no, no honey it's not bad… it's just strange that's all"

Angel didn't understand, and so she ran upstairs. About ten minutes later Joan came into Angel's room. "are you ok?" Joan asked softly Angel looked at her. "Angel I can't read your mind, so your going to have to tell me ok"  
"Is your dad good?" Angel asked

Joan looked surprised at the question "Yeah he's the best"  
Angel showed Joan the bruises on her stomach. Over the few days she'd spent with Horatio, Calliegh and the other people, they'd faded but they were still visible. "Mine did this to me" Angel told Joan "he made my insides hurt too"  
"Your insides hurt?" Joan said confused.

"He lay on top of me with no clothes, and my insides hurt." The horror Angel saw on Joan's face let Angel know that she'd made her understand "did you tell your policeman friend that?"  
"No"

"You should…It's wrong Angel…completely wrong and it's illegal"  
Illegal was one of the new words. It meant against the law. "I don't know much about the law…I don't know much about anything" Angel said quietly  
"We'll teach you, don't worry"  
"Hey Joan?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What's the cross for?"  
"What cross"

"The one in the hall near the door. It has a man on it"  
"you don't know that?" Joan asked Angel shook her head. "Ask my mom when she gets back" Joan said "She's better at explaining stuff then me"  
Angel nodded "Thank you Joan" she whispered.

"Your welcome kid" Joan said. "Joan? Angel? Come on down, dinner's here" Helen called. "Coming mom…ok Angel my two brothers are going to be downstairs your not going to freak out like you did with my dad are you?" Angel shook her head. Joan grinned and took Angel downstairs "If you guys have eaten it all, then your so going to pay" Joan said harshly. Angel whimpered and ran across to Helen "She didn't mean it Angel, did you Joan" Helen said giving Joan a look

"Not if there's pizza" Joan said looking in the boxes "nope didn't mean it" she said pulling out two pieces and handing one to Angel. "Pizza Angel, Angel meet the best food in the world" Joan said "Besides mom's cooking of course"

"Good to hear" Helen said smiling

Angel took a small bite and gagged "You can have it" she said handing it back to Joan "is it ok if I find myself something to eat?"

"Of course Angel go ahead" Helen said Angel looked in the pantry. It was full, and there was more food then she'd ever seen before. Closing it she looked in the fridge which was also full. She found an small apple, and then she joined the family back in the dining room "Is that all your going to eat?" Helen's husband asked. Angel reminded herself to ask Joan what her dad's name was later. "It's all I got for a whole day when I was with..." Angel trailed off. She didn't want to think about it. She changed her mind about eating with the family and went back into the kitchen. One of the boys, the one in the wheelchair came in after a while. "Hey I don't think we formally got introduced…I'm Kevin"  
"I'm Angel" Angel replied quietly. For some reason Kevin didn't scare her. Perhaps it was because he was completely different from her father. "So miss Angel you coming back into the dining room?"  
"No" She whispered quietly. Something about that family, how they seemed so happy, scared the hell out of her. Happy meant something bad was going to happen. "What don't you like us?" Kevin asked, giving the little girl a grin. Angel shook her head, as the tears started to drip down her face. "Hey it's alright, don't cry" Kevin said, sounding worried that he'd upset her. Angel couldn't help it. Something inside her had finally clicked onto that she was free that she wasn't going to hurt anymore. "Angel?" Joan said coming in "Kevin what did you do?" Joan asked angrily taking Angel into her arms "I didn't do anything" Kevin told Joan.

"It wasn't him" Angel sobbed quietly.

"What is it?" Joan's father asked, standing in the door  
Angel shrugged, beginning to calm down again "I'm sorry"  
"You haven't done anything wrong Angel, your probably just tired" Helen said quietly

Angel nodded, and she and Joan quickly escaped upstairs. "Joan?" Angel said quietly

"Yeah Angel?"

"What's your dad's name?"  
"Will" Joan replied with a smile.

_**I know this decadence**_

_**Is shared by millions**_

_**Remember you're not alone**_

_**Remember you're not alone**_

Joan sat on the edge of Angel's bed as she slept. She thought about the mission she had to perform for God.

"_Your lucky you know Joan" God had told her. He'd appeared to her as the old black man playing chess. Joan sat down to talk to him. "You think? I was forced to move away from my friends, my family just because my dad got fired, and I now I don't have any friends"  
"You have your family Joan. Some people don't have that, and some live in a home where their family are abusive. Some have seen their parents kill the other, or a sibling, or get sexually abused. Your lucky Joan, and soon, you'll meet a girl who'll prove that to you."_

"_That's my mission to meet the girl?" Joan asked_

"_No, but the mission will become clear when you know her" God replied, moving a chess piece "Checkmate" He said with a smile. He nodded at Joan who realised she was being dismissed._

_He was right_ Joan thought. _The mission is clear. And simple. _Joan stood up, and kissed Angel on her forehead. Looking up she saw her father looking at her. "You alright?" He whispered.

"Yeah" Joan replied quietly sneaking out. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah?"  
"Angel told me something…umm"  
"What did she tell you?" Will asked.

"Her dad did more then hit her" Joan said.

"Did she tell the Lt.?"  
"No… he was angry about her being abused, so she left that detail out" Joan replied seeing the anger wash through her father.

"What's going on up here?" Helen asked.  
"Angel was sexually abused by her father" Will replied.

Helen's eyes went dark "Just wait 'till I'm through with him, He'll be sorry"  
"Wow go Mom" Joan said surprised at her mother's outburst

"What? I'm a protective person" Helen said shrugging "She needs it"  
"Yeah… So is she coming to school with us tomorrow?" Joan asked

"She told me she was in year 7 so yes she will be… Joan will you keep an eye on her? I know that it's not cool, but…"  
"Mom I was going to anyway" Joan replied shrugging, "What can I say the girls grown on me"

_**If you just close your eyes**_

_**And just imagine everything's alright**_

After school the next day Angel stood at the gate waiting for Joan "Hello Angel" A voice said behind her. Angel turned on the defensive, and that didn't change when she saw who was speaking to her. "What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"Well that's not a nice way to treat me, since I got you out now is it?" the man said

"You let me get hurt too" Angel pointed out "and you took my mom to the angels"

"She needed to go, you know that" he told her

"Yeah doesn't mean I can't blame you for it" Angel said  
"Joan ignored me when Judith died, so your doing better then her"

"You go to Joan?"  
"Yes…She's like you"  
"I like her family you can't take any of them away" Angel said  
"I'm not going to, Angel…Hey Joan" He said as Joan came up to her  
"Joan are we going home with your mother?" Angel asked forgetting about the man next to her  
"No" The two of them said at the same time Angel looked over at the man and told him "Go away"

"I need to talk to Joan, Angel"  
"For someone who's older then time you sure are a dummy" Angel muttered walking out of earshot "She doesn't like me" God said smiling, as Angel made faces at him  
"Do you blame her?"

"No. Joan your thinking too hard" God said, then he turned to walk away.

"That's it?" Joan yelled after him, when she got no answer she yelled out "I agree with Angel"

_**But do not hide your tears**_

'_**Cause they were sent to wash away those years**_

A few hours later Horatio came to visit Angel. "Lt. Caine" Will greeted as he answered the door. "Mr Garadi…is Angel in?"

"Yes, but there's something I have to talk to you about first" Will closed the door behind him, and turned back to Horatio "Angel admitted to my daughter that she was sexually abused by her father"

"She said this to you daughter?"  
"According to Joan, not in so many words"

"I'll need to speak to the both of them, if more charges are going to be laid"  
"Lt. do you think that is a good idea?" Will asked. "It could mean court, and it's going to be hard enough on Angel as it is"  
"I realise this, and believe me Mr. Garadi, I do not want to make this more difficult for her, but I need to know"

Will nodded and opened the door "Hey Angel, you have a visitor" He called

Angel ran to the front door. "Hey that's cheating" Kevin called

"You're the one with wheels" Angel called back "that's not cheating?"

"The girl has a point" Angel heard Joan say. Angel turned to look out the door and saw Horatio "Hey" she said smiling at him

"Hello Angel" he said quietly "How you doin'?"  
"Ok" Angel said "You were right, these guys are nice" She gave Will a smile

"You wanna come in Lt.?" Will asked

Horatio nodded and they walked into the kitchen "If it's ok we'll stay in here" Angel said  
"sure" Will said "Helen and I will be in the living room with the others ok"  
"Ok, thanks Mr Garadi" Angel said  
"Angel what have I told you?"  
"Thank you Will" Angel corrected

"That's better" Will walked out of the room and Angel pulled herself onto the counter. "Angel we need to talk to about a couple of things ok"  
"Daddy's not getting out is he?" Angel said, her eyes lighting up with fear

"No Angel, your father is never getting out ok, but to make sure that happens we need you to go to talk to some grown ups about what happened in your house"  
"Like you and Will and Helen?"  
"Like us" Horatio said "And you know what we will all be there too, to help"  
Angel nodded "Daddy will be there too" it was a statement, and Horatio knew she understood "He will not even go near you and if he tries I'll protect you ok" Horatio told her comforting her. Angel nodded "What else did you want to talk to me about?"  
"Are those marks the only thing your father did to you?"  
Angel shook her head, no "He lay on top of me with no clothes, and my insides hurt" She said repeating what she had told Joan "he raped you Angel" Horatio said quietly  
Angel nodded, yes "That's a bad word" She whispered quietly  
"It is" Horatio agreed "It is and it will never, never happen to you again, I swear"  
"I trust you" Angel whispered "And Mr and Mrs… I mean Helen and Will, but I don't want you to get hurt"

"Angel don't worry about us ok, us grown ups will be alright" Horaito smiled at her trying to comfort her. "Hey Angel" Joan said "The boys need you for a minute… they threw the dice behind the T.V and your arms are small enough to reach it"  
"Ok" Angel jumped off the counter and ran into the lounge  
"Lt. Caine" Joan said cautiously "Is there any possibility that Angel's dad would get off the charges"  
"No" Horatio said, seeing that Joan was worried for Angel "Not with the amount of evidence we have against him"  
"Does she have to go to court?"  
"Miss Garadi…"  
"Call me Joan… Miss Giradi makes me feel like I'm still in school" Joan gave the Lt. a grin. "Joan, she has to go"

Joan nodded "It sucks"  
Horatio nodded "truer words have never been spoken"

"Got it!" Angel said coming back in holding the dice up with pride.

"Nice work Angel" Horatio said with a grin. "Listen I need to go ok"  
Angel's face fell "do you have to?" She asked

"Yeah… big case" He said

"Ok… See ya Horatio" Angel said

"Tell your parents Joan, that I will call them about court ok"  
"Ok Lt." Joan took this as a dismissal, so walked back into the lounge. Angel looked down at the ground "Hey" Horatio said his hand lifting her head up "No being sad"  
"Ok… hey what happened to my momma?" She asked

"Your mother was buried properly" Horatio said quietly  
"Cool so aren't you going?"

"I am" Horatio agreed "Bye Angel"  
"Bye Horatio"

_**If you just close your eyes**_

_**And just imagine everything's alright**_

Angel sat in a small room near the courtroom with Joan and God "Why are you here? Don't you know what's going to happen anyway" Angel asked him when he sat down  
"Yes but I love watching justice in action"  
"God's being sarcastic with me Joan" Angel complained  
"Join the club" Joan muttered "You have a reason for being here?"  
"I'm one of the witnesses" God said. He was actually a she, an old woman

"The lady who lived across the street" Angel muttered "Didn't she die like a month ago?"  
"Not according to the court"

"Ohhh God stole Mrs. Foresst identity" Angel laughed "Your in trouble" Joan laughed at this. "Miss Johns? Your up" A court official said poking his head in the door. "Stick it to him Angel" Joan yelled

'_**Cause they were sent to wash away those years**_

"What was your life like with your father Miss Johns?" The lawyer man asked. The first answer was the answer that had been beaten into her, then the truthful answer. She stalled by saying "ummm" her father caught her eyes and she found herself unable to look away. He gave her the look that told her she was dead. "Angel?" The judge said. Angel pulled her eyes away from her father and looked up at the judge. The lady said very quietly to her "Would you like your father to leave?"  
Angel shook her head "I'm alright" She whispered back. She swallowed and looked back at the lawyer man. "He made me hurt. Inside and out…. Before my momma went to live with the angels, he made her hurt too. She went to the hospital with blood coming out of her head a lot." Angel looked at the feet for a moment gathering her thoughts. "What did he do to you?" The Lawyer man asked.

Angel just stood up and turned. She showed them the scars on her back, since the bruises had long since faded. "My right eye doesn't work right either, because he damaged my brian" Angel said. "I'm lucky"

"How are you lucky?"  
"I could have died, like my mother" It was the first time Angel had said her mother had died, and it hurt, a lot. "Or my brain could have even more damage, which would have been even worse" Angel's view on things was simple, another side effect from the brain injury. "That's all" the Lawyer said

"Angel was it just your father who hurt you?" the lawyer that had been sitting next to Angel's father asked after being given permission. "No, sometimes men would give him money, and they would hurt my insides too" Angel said.

"Hurt your insides?" The lawyer asked looking slightly confused. The other lawyer, the one that Horatio was sitting behind, stood up and said to the judge "'Hurt my insides' is how Angel says she was raped, your honour. She doesn't know any other way"

The judge nodded then turned to Angel "Angel do you understand what rape means"

"yes mam. Hor…I mean Lt Caine and Mrs Garadi explained it to me."

"That's alright then…Next question, Mr Donotello"

"No other questions, your honour" the lawyer replied.

"Miss Johns you may sit down" The Judge said. Angel scurried out of the seat, and went and sat down next to Horatio, who hugged her tightly "you did good Angel" he whispered "You did real good"

_**Maybe we can wash away those years**_

The judge called a recess of the court after she let the jury go make a verdict. Angel walked out with Horatio, Joan, Helen, and Will. Angel was staying close to Horatio, since her father was close by. There were a whole heap of uniforms around, but that wouldn't stop him, if he decided he'd attack her. To be totally honest, Angel wasn't totally sure that Horatio could stop him either, but he was better then no protection. "Hey Angel feel like going to get a bite to eat with me?" Will asked her. She could see that he could see she was scared, which was weirdly comforting. "yes please" Angel whispered. "Alright, let's go" Will took her hand. Angel could sense Horatio wanted to go with her, but refrained "I'm going to talk to Miss Delano, about laying more charges against Mr Johns." Horatio said. Angel walked with Will into the cafeteria. "You ok?" Will asked when they sat down with some food. Angel nodded.

"You sure?"  
"I'm ok" Angel replied "Should we get something for Helen and Joan?" she asked looking around. Will knew she was looking for 'danger' "Angel it's alright" He said gently "Your safe now, no one's gunna hurt you"  
"I know" Angel replied. She'd beaten a lot of fears recently, Will knew, but it would take a lot of work for her to re-learn everything, and to stop being afraid. "I deserved it though"  
"Deserved what?"  
"Hurting…I was bad, so he taught me not to"

"Angel no child deserves to be beaten, or hurt, you understand"

Angel looked at her food, and picked at it. She still ate very little, only managing about half of what the rest of the family ate, and some of the richer foods made her sick. "You don't believe me?" Will asked, knowing the expression from Joan

"No" She admitted.

"If someone does something bad, they don't have to be hit to be taught Angel. I ground my kids"  
"What's ground?"

"It means not letting them go out, or watching TV or anything like that" Will said, "And it's what's going to happen to you if your bad too"  
"I won't be" Angel said "but sometimes my bad is different to everyone else's"

"It's alright, Helen, Joan, Kevin Luke and I will show you what's bad for everyone else"

"Ok" Angel smiled at him  
"You know what Angel?"  
"What?"  
"You have a very pretty smile… and when you're older, I'm going to have a very big problem"

"Why?" Angel asked honestly not knowing

"Ask Helen" Will laughed "You done?" Angel nodded "Ok then" Will said, standing up. "Let's get this over and done with huh?"

_**For we have crossed many oceans**_

_**And we labour in between**_

The verdict (The decision the jury made Horatio explained to Angel) was in after half an hour (Very quick, according to Will) Guilty on all counts against him. Angel didn't understand what that meant, but she knew it meant her father was going to Jail. The Jury dismissed the court until tomorrow, so she can decide on the sentence. "Hey Helen?" Angel asked  
"Yeah honey?" Helen replied

"Will said when I'm older he's going to have a big problem, and when I asked him why he said to ask you"  
"I think my dad meant, Angel, is that your very pretty, and all the boys will want to go out with you" Joan said with a laugh.

"Yeah, that's what I meant" Will said giving his daughter a grin  
Angel just looked at them like they were crazy "Helen do we have to come back tomorrow?"  
"Not if you don't want to. They're going to tell your daddy how long he has to stay in jail for."  
Will muttered something to Helen who nodded. Angel and Joan exchanged a look.  
"Let's go home" Angel said  
"Sounds like a plan to me" Joan declared with a sigh "Have I mentioned that I hate court"  
"Yep, a few times" Angel said  
"Your as bad as Kevin and Luke" Joan grumbled, making Angel grin.

_**In life there are many quotients**_

_**And I hope I find the mean**_

_**The mean**_

_**The mean**_

_A year later_

"Hi Horatio" Angel said opening the door for him

"Hey Angel, how's it going"  
Angel shrugged "Same as last week… got to paint my room, since I'm officially a Garadi now"

"That, that is pretty cool… What colour?"  
"Purple…I moved my bed away from the window too" Angel said this in a 'it don't matter' tone, but Horatio knew it meant she wasn't afraid anymore. "I'm proud of you Angel" He said quietly, just for her ears. Angel grinned "I'm pretty proud of myself too" She told him.

"Hey Horatio…Angel you going to help the boys with the boat?" Helen asked her coming into the kitchen where Horatio and Angel were talking  
"Sure… Mom" Angel said teasingly, heading for the garage.

"She's done very well for herself" Helen said shuffling through the papers that were on the table.

"She has, and still is" Horatio told Helen.

"True… Come on watching them with the boat is always fun" Helen smiled and led Horatio to the garage, where Luke, Kevin and Will were trying to move their boat out of the garage. Joan was watching, in a fit of laughter. Angel was standing next to the boat leaning against it. "You know Angel, you could help" Will pointed out  
"And spoil your fun, or should I say Joan's fun? I don't know" Angel was grinning.

"It's alright Angel, don't mind me" Joan told her

Angel grinned, and turned to face the boat. She pulled the pucks from under the wheels. "Think that might help" Angel said.

"You were supposed to do that" Will, Kevin, and Luke said at the same time. Horatio couldn't hide his grin as the three of them began to argue. Angel turned and swung the pucks over her shoulder and walked over to Joan, Helen, and Horatio with a smile on her face. She walked past them, into the house, humming quietly. "What are you doing?" Joan asked following her inside.  
"Going to get my guitar, I have to practice for tonight." Angel said.

"You don't want to hang out with the rest of us?"  
"I have to get this right Joan" Angel told her.

Joan sighed and went back to watch the show. "Where's Angel?" Helen asked.

"Practicing for the concert tonight"  
"What concert?" Horatio asked  
"Her school one… she's playing the gutair, and singing…something" Joan said

"I didn't know about this"  
"She told us she told you" Helen said.

"Angel never did anything people expect… remember her self-potriat art projet?" Joan pointed out. Helen groaned at the reminder. "I had nightmares about that work"

Horatio nodded "What time?"  
"7" Helen replied

"Ok, thank you…I need to go… Say bye to Angel for me"  
"Ok"

_**If you just close your eyes**_

_**And just imagine everything's alright**_

_**But do not hide your tears**_

'_**Cause they were sent to wash away those years**_

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Angel Gariadi" The MC announced. Angel walked onto the stage with a confidence about her. "Ok… Well I'm going to play for you people tonight a song called Perfect, by Simple plan" She began playing the song, and the acoustic guitar's strings echoed through the hall. "Hey Dad look at me, Think back and talk to me, did I grow according to plan?" Angel sung, and looked at the crowd properly for the first time. Her adopted family were all there, of course. They were easy to spot because of Kevin. Then she noticed the person next to Helen. Horatio. The smile on her face became bigger. "Cause we lost it all, nothing lasts forever, I'm sorry I can't be perfect, and it's just too late, and I can't go back I'm sorry I can't be perfect."

_**If you just close your eyes**_

_**And just imagine everything's alright**_

_**But do not hide your tears**_

'_**Cause they were sent to wash away those years**_

"Hey what are you doin' here?" Angel exclaimed, running up to Horatio  
"The others invited me" He replied, as the girl hugged him.

"I'm glad you're here" Angel smiled.  
"Me too"  
"Thanks Horatio"  
"I haven't done anything" He said  
"You gave me my life" Angel told him "And thanking you doesn't even begin to show what I owe you"

_**They were sent to wash away those years**_

_**Maybe we can wash away those years**_

_**I hope you can wash away those years**_


End file.
